Rule changes, additions and options proposed by players for players. This is not for officially sanctioned variations, see below!
7
votes
3answers
211 views
How can we finish Titan in 4 hours?
We like to play Titan but the game always feels too long, it usually takes 6-8 hours.
We've tried the quicker game variant suggested in the rules (skipping the first level of recruits and going ...
12
votes
1answer
302 views
Solitaire rules for Catan Card Game?
I want to play the Catan Card Game more often than I can find someone with the patience to play it with me. I know there are some good solitaire rules for Settlers of Catan, but are there any for the ...
17
votes
8answers
1k views
Trivial Pursuit - Rules for a “short to medium length” game?
The standard rules for Trivial Pursuit say that in order to win, the player must collect all six wedges from the special category spaces, then proceed to the center and answer a final question in a ...
20
votes
2answers
2k views
Is it possible to play 2-player, 2-character Arkham Horror successfully?
I've tried playing Arkham Horror with 1, 2 and 4 players. I've found that the game seems extraordinarily difficult with less than 4 characters. Simply put, you don't have enough gos to do everything. ...
7
votes
2answers
298 views
Alternative major improvements for Agricola
Are there any (official/unofficial) alternatives to the major improvements in Agricola?
55
votes
13answers
736 views
Taking back turns, and forgotten privileges
A generic question across most board games: once a player has taken their turn (taken their finger off the piece they are playing), should they be allowed to change their mind?
Similarly, if a player ...
6
votes
1answer
645 views
If you disturb a Jenga block, can you push it back into place?
In Jenga, when you are moving your block out and another block next to it moves, are you allowed to push the other block(s) back?
14
votes
7answers
1k views
Disadvantaging an overly good Agricola player
One of my friends and I often play Agricola, and he's considerably better than me at it - I'm getting better, but he seems to be advancing at a faster rate, and it's getting to the point that although ...
4
votes
1answer
183 views
How can we stop the same person being the traitor each time?
I recently received Betrayal at House on the Hill. The last and only three times we've played it the same person/player has been the traitor. I know this is unlikely, but we've started joking that the ...
3
votes
1answer
132 views
Why Does The Parade Scoring System Work The Way It Does?
Has anyone here apart from me played Parade? It's a simple, cute, yet original and maddeningly addictive little Alice-in-Wonderland-themed card game from a Japanese designer. Basically, there are 6 ...
8
votes
6answers
461 views
Robo Rally - Alternative rules for option cards?
Robo Rally is a fun game but the option cards totally break it if a person just sits on the wrench and hammer and collects them all.
Has anyone tried a house rule to discourage this behaviour? How ...
9
votes
2answers
580 views
Where did the “can't build next to the robber” house rule come from?
Several people I've met play Settlers of Catan with the house rule "you may not build anything that isn't a knight next to the robber". As far as I can see, it's not in the rule book.
To clarify: ...
3
votes
3answers
462 views
In Axis and Allies, Can Heavy Bombers Be “Tamed”?
Most players of Axis and Allies understand intuitively that the original heavy bombers tech "unbalances" the game by being disproportionately good. My own research confirms this by valuing the two ...
4
votes
2answers
379 views
Is there a Warhammer 40K codex/proxy for the Interex?
The Interex appear in the first Horus Heresy book, Horus Rising as a branch of humanity heavily influenced by eldar.
I was forever saddened to hear they never made it.
Do any rules official and/or ...
6
votes
2answers
161 views
Can I mix Fantasy and 40k in a game?
I'm trying to get my fiancée interested in playing Warhammer games. She's interested in fantasy and I'm interested in the sci-fi 40k branch of the game, plus I've already got an army in the making. If ...
1
vote
2answers
125 views
Mêlée based, fantasy themed Warhammer 40k army?
Which army is best suited to adapting to a fantasy themed, mêlée based army (in both rules and look of model)? Do 40k armies suit mêlée combat at all?
6
votes
2answers
808 views
Is Ace high? Or low? Or both?
When playing the cards, Ace is worth 1. When counting runs, A 2 3 is worth 3. I've often played with Q K A also being worth 3. I've even played with K A 2 being worth 3! Definitely good ways to ...
4
votes
3answers
715 views
How do Phenomenon cards work in the Eternities Map variant?
In the Eternities Map variant of Planechase, players lay out Plane cards in a grid and get to choose a direction when they planeswalk:
Players see not only the current plane, but also adjacent ...
3
votes
1answer
204 views
Where can I find more Brood War scenarios?
The Brood War expansion of Starcraft introduces the idea of the Scenario Game Mode, which basically comprises a pregenerated galaxy setup with special victory conditions. Often, playing scenarios ...
0
votes
0answers
142 views
Small World: New game I'm playing [closed]
For whoever likes Small World, here's an idea for how to play this game differently:
When a player needs to choose a race, his opponent chooses for him (and also pays or gets the victory points for ...
6
votes
2answers
232 views
How to mitigate the intial luck factor in Race For The Galaxy?
Background (feel free to skip):
My mom and I often play RFTG together (I am a very fortunate child to have a game-playing parent :), and we've noticed that there usually isn't as much luck in the ...
4
votes
3answers
688 views
Without breaking the game, how can I fix Memoir 44's problem with having no cards to order units in a certain section?
I find Memoir 44 very interesting and exciting, but it seems everyone I introduce it to has the same gripe. They (and I) don't like having a unit getting pummeled by the opposing force without being ...
19
votes
5answers
3k views
How do you make Settlers of Catan work well for 2 players? (Problems and play-tested solution described, alternatives requested)
The basic Settlers of Catan game is designed to work for 3-4 players (or more with 5-6 Player Extension). No 2 player variant is suggested by the rules, and for good reasons:
Trades (an exciting ...
5
votes
0answers
66 views
Does the Diplowinn variant play similarly to the original Diplomacy?
The Diplomacy Variant Bank contains a huge number of variants on Diplomacy, ranging from completely different maps and powers, to minor tweaks of the rules. I was searching for a variant that would ...
13
votes
3answers
730 views
Is there a “Campaign Mode” set of rules available for Arkham Horror?
Are there any rules (official or otherwise) that would govern trying to string together multiple games of Arkham Horror into some sort of a campaign structure? The idea would be for the investigators ...
3
votes
1answer
122 views
Would this potential Saint Petersburg house rule work? [closed]
A friend mentioned a possible easy tweak of the Saint Petersburg rules: just pay out the buildings once again at the end of the game (perhaps disallowing observatory/debtor's prison except for taking ...
1
vote
2answers
256 views
Playing with the characters from the base and the Dark City expansion for Citadels.
In 3 player Citadels, each player chooses 2 characters. I've found I liked picking 2 characters so much that I've modified the game to be able to do it with any number of players. All I had to do was ...
3
votes
1answer
83 views
Can The Haunted Tower be played without the base game?
My girlfriend received Dungeons & Dragons: The Haunted Tower for Christmas. Can it be played without the The New Easy to Master Dungeons & Dragons?
I figure that it would be possible to ...
8
votes
2answers
215 views
Making 2-player Starcraft more enjoyable
In theory and according to the rules book, Starcraft can be played by 2-6 players. From my own experience and what I heard from others, it does not work at all for 2 players. The random factor gets ...
10
votes
5answers
656 views
Do you know any rules that make Pandemic's difficulty more even?
Pandemic varies vastly in difficulty depending on the number of players. Does anyone know of any custom rules that make it more even?
4
votes
0answers
397 views
In Axis and Allies, could a house rule upgrading the German navy finally “balance” the game?
Because of the historical strength of the Allies, Axis and Allies is somewhat Allies favoring, despite numerous attempts to "balance" the game. I was wondering if curing the Axis' "achilles heel," the ...
19
votes
4answers
825 views
What are common contracts in Catan?
Players in my Catan groups never reneg on deals, so we have a number of common contracts. For example, we often sell each other a "Not-Hit," the right to be avoided the next time the seller gets to ...
11
votes
4answers
2k views
Recommended Axis & Allies alternative rules / variations?
What rule variations do you recommend for playing Axis & Allies, from ones meant to balance the game to ones that add a little spice?
Here are the variants I've played with - always looking for ...
5
votes
3answers
788 views
How to make Settlers of Catan less cut-throat?
I know some people enjoy playing this way, but the other 50% of players seem to prefer a more casual game. This often stops people wanting to play at all, and so Settlers gets left on the shelf.
The ...
15
votes
6answers
508 views
General advice for maximizing fun playing multiple games of Dominion
My girlfriend and I are a bit late to getting Dominion but so far are really enjoying it - we have the base set and just bought Intrigue. We don't have a lot of time to play (and so far at least have ...
14
votes
3answers
1k views
Does anyone have a way to modify Ticket to Ride to accommodate six people?
I recently bought Ticket to Ride to play at our monthly game night, which consists of three couples, i.e. six people. Stupid me, didn't read the five player limit before ordering the game. I've played ...
2
votes
1answer
191 views
Different game modes for Thunderstone
While plenty entertaining in the original version, the game Thunderstone looks like it could be played in many more ways.
Besides the most obvious modifications like playing with more (or less) ...
3
votes
3answers
295 views
What's a good handicap for a less experienced player in an MTG Draft?
My drafting group has a few hardcore players like me who have been playing magic for a while. We've memorized almost all the commons and uncommons in the sets we're drafting (usually Innistrad or ...
4
votes
1answer
449 views
How can Munchkin Quest be played quicker?
I love Munchkin Quest, but if you have more than 3 players you tend to get longer games. I know one way to make games quicker is to reduce everyone's starting moves to 2. That works ok, but I want ...
3
votes
3answers
358 views
How much would the cards from Dominion: Alchemy cost if you wanted to use them while not playing with potions?
I've been looking at the cards from Dominion: Alchemy and want to use some of them in my own games through proxying of the blank cards. However, I don't feel like delving into the whole potion thing, ...
4
votes
1answer
328 views
Hero Quest - Adaptation to remove 'Evil Wizard'
I'm just wondering if anyone has come across an adaptation to the rules of Hero Quest for a version where you don't need an evil wizard? I'm wanting to try and play 2 player co-operative games and ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
How would these Ticket To Ride variants change the game?
In a recent question we securely established that the "Longest Route" bonus in Ticket to Ride is earned by the largest number of train cars used to make the route, not the largest number of stops.
...
12
votes
1answer
464 views
Dixit variations to increase replay value?
I recently got Dixit, and it's been a big hit with a couple groups of friends, however we're already finding it's replay value to be declining. I'm sure in a few months it would be very fun again ...
5
votes
1answer
328 views
New Cylon Leader Objectives
When playing with a cylon leader, a benign "humans win" objective generally unbalances the game. Also, the limited number of objectives makes it fairly easy to guess which the leader has.
As a ...
14
votes
11answers
567 views
How to reduce slow starts at the beginning of the game?
We recently played a game of Settlers of Catan where for the first 3 rounds none of us got any brick at all, so there was no road construction at all and it dragged a little. I'm not looking to reduce ...
0
votes
0answers
171 views
Has anyone played a completely 'free market' version of Settlers of Catan? [closed]
In a free market version, there is no robber and sevens don't do anything (either reroll or nothing pays out). Optionally, players' resources cards are public information.
If so, what was your ...
19
votes
9answers
279 views
How to eliminate advantages gained from the seating position of inferior players?
In many games, such as Liar's Dice or On The Underground, there is an advantage to be had by sitting immediately after (in the turn order) the player who is least experienced or just plain bad at the ...
8
votes
9answers
1k views
Rewards and punishments for card games
With playing a long board game you have the satisfaction of the endurance and outsmarting your opponents. It's a struggle and winning is the glory.
When you play something like poker or Uno you are ...
13
votes
8answers
765 views
Creative handicaps in Settlers of Catan?
I've gotten really into Settlers of Catan recently. There are a few people I regularly play with and these games are really fun / intense; however, when any of this group splits off to play "friendly ...
10
votes
2answers
431 views
Alternative rules for SimCity: The Card Game
Back in the 90s, I enjoyed collecting SimCity: The Card Game. I can't help but feel excited that there's a lot of potential in the game, but that the rules are broken and in certain aspects, to be ...
